For packaged beverages made in Vietnam and sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), production and expiry dates must match the product’s substantiated shelf life and applicable label requirements. The Vietnamese manufacturer supplies processing records, stability evidence and original date codes. The UAE importer checks local registration, label acceptance and shipment readiness. This guide covers UAE market entry, not Vietnam’s export formalities or customs clearance guarantees.
Determine which shelf-life rules apply
Start with the finished beverage, not a standard expiry period used for another product. Juice, coconut water, tea, coffee and beverages containing pulp may have different ingredients, processing conditions, package barriers and storage needs. The applicable UAE-adopted standards and the product’s actual characteristics must be evaluated together.
The Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO) separates mandatory expiry-date provisions from voluntary shelf-life guidance. The Ras Al Khaimah municipal Food Code cites GSO 150-1 and 150-2 and describes establishing product-specific shelf life where guidance does not supply a period. Its local administrative procedure must not be treated as a Dubai-wide rule. The GSO 150-2 amendment also illustrates why shelf-life guidance depends on product type.
Do not assume that all UAE beverages receive an 18-month or 24-month expiry period. The importer must confirm applicable standards and any product-specific assessment.
Check the printed dates before approving artwork
UAE Cabinet Resolution 26 of 2017, Article 9, requires imported food to comply with mandatory technical requirements and prohibits ordinary trade in expired food. Article 14 addresses alteration of shelf life contrary to the original label without the required approval. Batch coding must be controlled before shipment.
The U.S. International Trade Administration’s UAE labeling guide, published August 25, 2025, says production and expiry dates belong on the original manufactured label rather than a later Arabic translation sticker. It describes day/month/year presentation for shelf lives up to three months and day/month/year or month/year for longer periods. The importer must verify this secondary guidance against the currently adopted UAE technical standard.
